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The True Meaning of the Word “Antichrist”

The word “antichrist” is found only in the letters of John in the Bible, specifially first and second John.

1 John 2:18 ¶Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
1 John 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
1 John 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
2 John 1:7 ¶For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

The name “Christ” is a title, not the surname of Jesus. The word “Christ” comes from christos, a Greek word meaning “anointed.” Does Satan want to have that title? The Bible teaches that Satan wants to take the place of Christ in our hearts. The Devil wants the worship that is due Jesus to be given to him! Therefore a person who pretends to BE Christ is “antichrist” according to the sense of the meaning of the word in the letters of John!

Most people today think of the prefix “anti-” as meaning “against,” but in context of antichrist it actually means “in place of.” Early Christians understood this word to not mean someone who sought to destroy Christ but someone who sought to set himself up in the place of Christ!

When the Pope calls himself the “Vicar of Christ”, he is literally calling HIMSELF Antichrist! The word “vicar” comes from Middle English, from Old French vicaire, from Latin vicārius, vicarious, a substitute!

When we speak of the Antichrist as most people understand him today, it’s actually more correct to say the “final Antichrist” for all Popes are technically antichrist.

Anti is one of many words in the KJV that has changed in meaning to what most people understand it to mean today. Among the etymology of the word is the meaning of “instead of”. Look up the word “antipope” for it has that very meaning! An antipope was not against Popes but a person who claimed to be Pope while another Pope was reigning.
an·ti·pope

\ˈan-ti-ˌpōp\

noun

: one elected or claiming to be pope in opposition to thepope canonically chosen

Origin: Middle English antepope, from Middle Frenchantipape, from Medieval Latin antipapa, from anti- +papa pope.
First use: 15th century

I recently had a debate with a young man about the meaning of the word “anrichrist” and he conceded I had a point when I brought up the meaning of “antipope”. Wow! This is perhaps one of the first intellectual arguments I ever won! 🙂

The Dec. 23, 2013 edition of Time Magazine referred to Pope Francis position as “the most exalted throne in the world.” Isn’t that the very position that Satan himself seeks? Doesn’t he want to rule the world?

Isaiah 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

Doesn’t Satan want the very Son of God, Jesus to worship him?

Matthew 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

Doesn’t Satan want to have the title “Christ”? This is the true meaning of Antichrist, a person who claims to BE Christ! Christians hold the true Christ to be Jesus of Nazareth. Satan’s people are seeking to promote their version of Christ who is not the Jesus of the Gospels, not the Christ of the New Testament, but their own version of Christ based on Gnosticism and paganism, the Devil incarnate.

Raised in the Hegewisch neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, served in the USAF from 1970 to 1974, and became a full-time missionary for Christ in Japan ever since except for a couple years back in America, 3.5 years in Russia, and a few months in other countries such as Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, South Korea, Taiwan and mainland China where I also served the King of Kings, Jesus, as an Ambassador for His Kingdom.
I am a live by faith missionary with no steady income except for an English teaching class twice a month which brings in about $100 US. If you find this website a blessing, please send a gift through Paypal to: james.arendt@jamesjpn.net Because I am not a registered charity, please don't designate it as a donation but as for services rendered. Thank you!

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The True Meaning of the Word “Antichrist” — 21 Comments

I totally agree with your assessment, James! It’s so easy to understand, so simple!
We have a few articles coming out on the American Church, how it’s part of the world religious system and not necessarily of God which will soon be referenced from our front page onsite.
We classify Christianity along with Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, etc. as world an entity of the world religious system — specifically because it has been totally compromised for more than 1500 years!
anyway, before I get long-winded, let me just say I’m very happy with what I read on this post!
In our community work, we specify that we do not discriminate against either Protestants or Catholics, but treat each the same.
As for some of Dad’s ideas not quite lining up with Scripture and other realities on the ground, I get the verse: “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” (Proverbs 4:18)
I thank God for that wonderful ol’ crazy prophet for the quality of spiritual training and biblical understanding I received under his leadership! No doubt he’s learning new things in heaven!
As for guys like you and me, well, we have to keep digging and separating and trying to make heads and tails of everything we’re about until the day we, too, pass on! It’s very commendable when we can let go of those doctrines and shibboleths we once cherished and replace them with things that more closely approach the truth.
God bless!

right on brother, that’s what I pointed out to a pre-triber the other day, it’s the second coming of our Lord, not 2, 3, etc. GOD’S WORD is pretty plain if we have an ear.
may our blessed heavenly Father continue to bless your efforts to maintain truth.

Here are what his catechism actually did and does teach about the Pope:

50 Q. Who is the Pope?
A. The Pope, who is also called the Sovereign Pontiff, or the Roman Pontiff, is the Successor of St. Peter in the See of Rome, the Vicar of Jesus Christ on earth, and the visible Head of the Church.

The Apostle Peter never ever visited Rome! To say he did is to rewrite history!

51 Q. Why is the Roman Pontiff the Successor of St. Peter?
A. The Roman Pontiff is the Successor of St. Peter because St. Peter united in his own person the dignity of Bishop of Rome and that of Head of the Church; by divine disposition he established his Seat at Rome, and there died; hence, whosoever is elected Bishop of Rome is also heir to all his authority.

This is a trick for Rome to get all the power! The Russians and the Greeks didn’t fall for it, and that is why they forsook the Bishop of Rome 1000 years ago.

52 Q. Why is the Roman Pontiff the Vicar of Jesus Christ?
A. The Roman Pontiff is the Vicar of Jesus Christ because He represents Him on earth and acts in His stead in the government of the Church.

“Vicar” is another word for substitute. For the Pope to claim he is Jesus Christ on earth is blasphemy and shows he is an antichrist!

That rings so true! A quick review of history indicates the Bishop in Rome was no more highly regarded than any other until Rome asserted political dominance over western Europe with the anointing of the Holy Roman Emperor, and the assertion of political rule over the kings.

The bishops in the East never recognized this Papal succession back to Peter in the way Roman Catholics do today.

Peter was the apostle’s name, and the first in charge during Christ’s walk on Earth, and the first one following that, but Christ told him he was building his church on the fact Peter recognized, that “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God”.

Peter referred to himself as a “fellow elder.” ( 1 Peter 5:1) He was actually nothing more than a spokesman for the apostles. Something Roman Catholics cannot accept. He, along with the 11 was given a one time mission: to lay the foundation of Christianity. Something that cannot be repeated, which is why there are no Apostles today.

I have some big differences with John McArthur, but this writing about the Papacy rings true, and I learned some things from it.

GREEK, HEBREW, TRANSLATIONS OF THE BIBLE:

One thing is, that in all John McArthur’s radio sermons I’ve heard, he never fails to explain “what the Greek means here”, or the Hebrew, about a thousand different times. In comments on his web site on which Bible translation is best, he first says it’s important because it “concerns teh most important words ever spoken, the words of God the Creator”, and you should use the version that reproduces “what God actually said”.

Then he proceeds to explain the differences in translation philosophy among the most popular ones, formal and dynamic equivalency, and says great things about ALL of the versions. Lumps together the awful MSG (a horrendous disrespectful paraphrase, not even claims to be translation) with the NIV as being of the “dynamic” group.

As usual from today’s evangelical leaders, even though he’s VERY strong in some important doctrines, no prize. Christians are left with more confusion than ever.

He does say some translations play fast and loose with interpretation, but still doesn’t help.

his problem there is that he completely writes God out of the picture in Bible translation activity. This is where ALL critics of the KJB wander off the King’s territory.

TEXTUS RECEPTUS AND ALEXANDRIAN TEXTS

The writer of the article also completely omits the importance of which of the two major families of original texts forms the basis for the translation of the New Testament. The Textus Receptus is the name for the overwhelming majority of extant texts, so it is also called the Majority Text. This was what Christians used throughout the first 19 centuries.

Then a couple of characters who hated the Bible spent some effort in finding alternative texts, and found a few that were a sort of Alexandrian branch of texts, most notably (1) one that was in a basket to burn in a monastery in the Sinai area, now called Textus Sinaiticus, and another rescued from the bowels (dungeon?) of Vatican libraries, called Textus Vaticanus.

Bible translation is where we go from one language to another. Bible version is when we produce another English bible. In order for a new bible version to be published and comply with copyright laws, it must have X amount of changes. Therefore, it must be different from all the previous bible versions. What we are seeing in these modern versions is the gradual dilution of the word of God. This produces liberal Christians, liberal pastors, liberal churches, watered down theology and unbelief in some of the scriptures.

No wonder Jesus asked if He would still find faith on the earth when He returns.

Bottom line: God promised to preserve His word and He has. These modern versions are not it. They are counterfeits.

Q. What is the sacrament of Baptism?
A. Baptism is a sacrament by which we are born again to the grace of God, and become Christians.

this is so totally false as most everything else they say. thief on the cross, disciples when CHRIST breathed on them. Also we know the death of the testater is necessary before the new covenant could take effect. So, the promise of the FATHER AND THE SON, were fulfilled on Pentecost, thus begun the mystery of GOD, CHRIST in us, as we know, if any of us, does not have the Spirit of CHRIST, we are none of his.
really, only the indivual truly knows if the Spirit of GOD dwells in them, and others will also know, by the fruit of the Spirit we bear.